Dear Editor,
Apart from two comments I gave to reporters who requested my views on the crisis in Linden, this is the first time that I am speaking extensively on the historic struggle being waged by the residents of that community against the oppressive PPP/C regime.
On July 18, 2012, a number of comrades from the APNU and I were in the protest in Linden, when the police attacked the peaceful protestors with tear gas and bullets, which resulted in the deaths of 3 men and twenty-four other persons suffering various gunshot injuries. That day we heard cries emanating from the people, viz: “Ah get shoot,” “A man get shoot in de chest – he dead,” and several other such cries as they ran in search of safer places to get away from the viciousness of the police.
It should be noted that the commencement of the shooting by the police coincided with power outages in the immediate area of the violence. It is believed that the blackouts were not accidental but were in fact, part of the orchestrated attacks against the people of Linden by the government. The intellectual authors of the heinous crime of killing citizens that followed must be brought to justice, along with those who pulled the trigger.
On that fateful day as people ran from the initial line of fire, the police fired teargas in their direction and followed up by shooting live rounds. Those of us from Georgetown were caught in unfamiliar terrain, and were lucky that none of us got shot. Our situation might have been different. Residents of the community who realised that we were from Georgetown helped to navigate us to safety. I want to publicly thank them for their thoughtful, courageous and comradely actions.
On August 1, we honoured our martyrs in the most fitting way. We turned out in our thousands, at the Square of the Revolution and the funeral in Linden, demonstrating solidarity and showing a collective resolve to defy the machinations of the rulers, and the killers in the Guyana Police Force. The blood of our fallen comrades must not be shed in vain. In order to ensure that that does not happen we must resolve to wage a protracted struggle on many fronts, for justice, economic advancement and a solution to the governance crisis in the country.
In light of the repeated shooting in Linden we have to extract “a huge political price” from the rulers. If we fail to do so, our comrades’ martyrdom would be in vain. Ours is a collective responsibility, to ensure this does not happen. The nature of the rulers and their economic/political allies was demonstrated by their insensitivity. Even, before the trio were laid to rest the arrogant rulers, and the well-known selfish elements in the private sector demanded “normalcy.” They wanted peace without justice – in their world view profits are more important than people.
For 20 years the residents of Linden and Region 10 were the victims of government policies which were designed to under-develop their community. The policy of the rulers towards the residents of Linden has been to create conditions which forced residents to join the ruling party to get economic and other benefits. Since it is the rulers who control the money bags they dole out the contracts and other perks to their yes-men. To escape poverty Region 10 residents are expected to capitulate to the oppressors to have a decent livelihood.
Apart from economic oppression, the PPP/C imposed on the community in the last 20 years a policy of discrimination as it relates to the community’s right to access information from other TV stations apart from the government controlled station. This policy was intended to brainwash the people with party and government propaganda. In spite of the community’s objections to the regime‘s policy, a national outcry in support of the people in Region 10 and a High Court ruling that the regime’s policy is unconstitutional, the rulers maintain their refusal to allow other TV stations to operate in Linden. No other community in Guyana has been singled out for such treatment. This policy has remained in place under every PPP/C government and President since that party came to power in 1992.
While it was the unilateral imposition of high electricity rates that triggered the present crisis in Region 10, it is the economic and politically repressive policies of the regime over the last 20 years that are being rejected by the masses of people. This crisis is not simply a local crisis but a national one, since the underlying issues are a reflection on the system of governance in the country, the allocation and management of economic resources and citizens’ right to life. These are all national concerns.
Comrade Granger, was correct when he noted in his speech on the launching of the APNU – the PPP/C runs Guyana like a plantation. In their scheme of things Guyana belongs to them, the country is their private property. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who in twenty years has failed his employers miserably – his utterances on Lindeners‘ response to the high electricity rates was hostile, and demonstrated personal bitterness against the people for rejecting both him and the PPP/C in the last general elections.
The issues in this struggle are clear. And the intent of the rulers needs no uncovering. Their actions speak for them. Their motivation is a desire to punish Lindeners and by extension the entire African community, for not voting for the PPP/C in the last general elections. Who is resisting in this struggle is unquestionable – the entire community – and their cause is a just one.
Very early in the PPP/C’s return to office post 1992 general and regional elections I pointed out on numerous occasions that the ruling party had established a “dirty tricks” department with a mandate to undermine opposition activities.
Information coming out of the police investigation indicates that there may have been unofficial weapons used in the Linden shootings of July 18, 2012. In closing it is clear that the rulers have not learned from the struggle against extra-judicial killings.
Your faithfully,
Tacuma Ogunseye
